


Circus !

by thaliethalou2



Category: Lokane - Fandom
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-09
Updated: 2016-11-13
Packaged: 2018-05-25 18:28:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 2,455
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6205891
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thaliethalou2/pseuds/thaliethalou2
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A charity gala. The Avengers have to perform a circus act. Not so easy ...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

"I'm so happy you're here !", Pepper says, holding Jane tightly.  
"Hey ! Did you really think I would let you down ?", Jane protests. "This charity gala for the Red Cross is such a great idea !"  
"Great indeed", Pepper nods, "but a bit difficult to organise. There will be just one performance, which will be televised of course, and we must get it right."  
She adds, making a face.  
"Just a month for us to train ourselves...Rather short, don't you think ?"  
Jane shakes her head.  
"Don't worry, dear ! We will be coached by circus performers, remember ? All will go off well, I guarantee you !"  
"I hope so", Pepper sighs.

"Tell me, are we allowed to choose our act ?", Jane asks with curiosity.  
"Unfortunately not", Pepper explains, "Yohann, the circus manager, has decided for us. But he's a wise man: his choice has been highly considered."  
"Let me guess", Jane teases, "as Tony's lover...you must be the lion tamer !"  
The blond woman giggles.  
"Not at all ! I'll be the ringmaster...the link between all of you."  
"You will be perfect", Jane nods in approval. "And what about Tony ?"  
Pepper grins, taking her friend's hand.  
"Come with me, I'll show you !"

Near the circus tent, Tony and Bruce are making themselves up as clowns.  
Bruce ( big shoes, colorful costume, silly little hat) gives the two women a knowing smile.  
"Not very discreet, isn't it ? But this time, the Monster will make people laugh !"  
"Don't be so sure", Tony comments sarcastically, "you look even more frightening like this !"  
The doctor bows ironically.  
"Applaud the marvellous White Face Clown and his dry wit !"

Before Tony has the chance to react, a rabbit runs at top speed, followed by an angry God of Thunder.  
"Come back, stupid animal", Thor shouts, "otherwise I'll turn you into a f°°°ing rabbit stew !"  
"Hey, Alice", Tony says, laughing hard, "not Wonderland, right ?"  
Pepper frowns.  
"Stop it ! Better concentrate on your duo with Bruce."  
"Thor should have been a clown, rather than a magician", Tony mumbles. "His clumsiness is hilarious !"

Pepper rolls her eyes, but says nothing.  
Then she gestures to the circus tent.  
"Jane, go inside and find Gorge, he will be your trainer. I'm going to help Thor to catch that poor pet."  
She waves her hand.  
"Do a good job ! See you soon !"

The astrophysicist obeys and walks inside the tent. She shakes hands with a tall man who is standing in the middle of the ring.  
"Gorge ? Nice to meet you ! I'm Jane. Please tell me you're not the knife thrower !"  
He flashes her a smile.  
"No, I'm not . Look above for a clue."  
Jane raises her head.  
Oh ... Trapeze. All right.

She grins.  
"Splendid ! When I was young, I was used to climb trees and swing."  
Gorge hides a smile.  
"Trapeze artists need more than agility. Trust is the keyword. If you and your partner don't have trust in each other, you will fall. Literally."  
Jane chews her upper lip.  
"And who ..."

A mocking voice cuts her off.  
"Hello, my ex sister-in - law. Ready for physical exploits with me ?"


	2. Chapter 2

She almost touches his hands.  
Almost.  
But she falls.  
Again.  
She bounces off the safety net, below her.  
No harm.  
Except for her pride.  
She wipes her tears away and curses in an undertone.  
Why can't she manage to catch his f*** hands ?

Loki gets down from his trapeze.  
Elegantly.  
"Tss tss, language, dear Jane", he purrs. " Still experimenting the force of Gravity ? Newton would have been proud of you ! "  
She clenches her fists.  
Bastard.  
He's looking at her, smiling broadly.

"Thank you, Loki", she hisses, "but you're too modest. You are the best pupil of Newton."  
His smile faints.  
"What do you mean, woman ?", he asks in an icy tone.  
"Well", she explains suavely, "you're the one who fell miserably into an abyss, aren't you ?"  
He sends her a murderous glare.  
"I didn't fall by accident. I chose to sacrify myself. With panache."

She cocks an eyebrow.  
"Panache ?", she comments sarcastically. "Indeed. What a glory to throw yourself into Thanos' jaws !"  
She adds with a mocking tone:  
"Tell me, Loki, did you enjoy being his puppet ?"  
He leans into her menacingly.  
"As much as you enjoyed being the Aether's one, I suppose."

She's cut off by an authoritative voice.  
"Enough, Jane ! Don't add fuel to the fire ! Shut up and keep on training yourself."  
Loki shifts his anger onto Gorge.  
"Mind your tongue, mortal !", he snaps. "Do talk to Jane respectfully. She's not a clumsy and stupid child, but the cleverest woman I've ever known. She's extremely brilliant."

Cleverest ? Brilliant ?  
Really ?  
Jane's wrath fades away and she puts her hand on Loki's arm.  
"Don't be aggressive, Loki", she says softly. "It's true, I have to improve."  
"You're not the only one to blame, Jane", Gorge corrects her, "Loki 'd better work on his skill as well. He's far too slow."

She shakes her head vigorously.  
"No, no, you're totally wrong. You should have seen him on Svartalfheim, fighting the Black Elves ! His skill was amazing ! And then, when a black hole grenade was thrown, he pulled me out of range. Right on time. He saved my life."  
Loki looks at her intensely.  
"I couldn't let you die. I couldn't."

Locked eyes.  
Gorge is watching them, completely stunned.  
Svartalfheim ? Black Elves ? What on earth is she talking about ?  
He coughs, breaking the charm.

Loki winks at Jane.  
"As the proverb says, bad pupil ..."  
She giggles.  
"...bad teacher !", she ends his sentence maliciously.  
Gorge flares up and shouts:  
"Out ! Both of you !"  
The Demi-God takes Jane by the hand and they fly away, laughing loudly.

Gorge sighs heavily.  
They will be the end of him.  
He starts to walk back and forth.  
They are like ice and fire, cat and dog.  
They have to learn to rely on each other, otherwise the performance will be a failure.

Suddendly he stops dead in his track.  
How stupid he is !  
They have just stood up for each other, haven't they ?  
During a few minutes, they have been allies, not ennemies.  
They have joined forces.  
Against him.

Yes, that's the key.  
He frowns, thinking hard.  
He needs a plan.


	3. Chapter 3

"Ouch !"  
The first rucksack is sent forcefully to Jane, who hardly catches it.  
"Blankets, food and map", Gorg enumerates laconically.  
Then he throws a second bag to Loki.  
"Matches, water and compass."  
The demi-god doesn't lift a finger, letting the backpack falling loudly on the ground.  
Clearly he doesn't want to involve himself.  
Jane sighs audibly, but doesn't say a word.  
To be honest, she can't blame him: a trek with her unnerving ex-brother in law doesn't please her much either.

Pretending not to see their lack of enthusiasm, Gorg continues his explanations.  
"You have to cross this forest. It will take you one day's walk. More, if you don't collaborate."  
Jane and Loki exchange a knowing look.  
Back again !  
"You're a team, remember. Don't forget the key word !"  
"Trust", Loki and Jane respond in chorus.  
"Exactly", Gorg nods solemnly. 

He waves his hand.  
" There's a little town over there. I'm sure you'll find a way to return to the circus."  
"If we want to come back", Loki mumbles.  
She elbows him, trying not to giggle.  
"So, good luck !" The trapeze artist laughs slightly. "And don't lose yourself, Hansel and Gretel !"  
He gets into his car and drives away.

Janes glances at Loki.  
With his mischievous smile, he looks more like the witch of the fairy tale than the naive little Hansel.  
He stretchs himself.  
"The mortal is right. Trust is the key."  
What ?  
She blinks in surprise.  
He sends her an ironic smile.  
"This idiot didn't see I have stol...no... borrowed his wallet."  
He checks it.  
"Enough money for a taxi. No problem to get back."

She asks, half joking.  
"And enough for a restaurant ?"  
He chuckles.  
"I can't believe it ! No virtuous indignation ?"  
He purrs.  
"Am I rubbing off on you ?"  
She blushes and his grin widens.

He bends down and picks up his rucksack.  
"Come on, soldier, we have a mission to accomplish."  
She looks at him suspiciously.  
He sounds...entertained.  
Odd.  
And absolutely creepy.

He starts to walk with determined stride.  
She has no choice but to follow him.


	4. Chapter 4

They have walked all day long, chatting friendly. Jane holding the map and Loki helping her gentlemanly, when the path is steep.  
At nightfall, they have stopped to get some rest.

"Because of these high trees, no stars can be seen", Jane sighs. "Pity."  
Loki smirks.  
"Why searching stars in the sky, since you have got the brightest one by your side ?"  
She laughs and hits him on his arm, playfully.  
"If you're a star, you must be a dark one."

To her stupefaction, he begins to recite.

"Je suis le Ténébreux- le Veuf- l'Inconsolé,  
Le Prince d'Aquitaine à la Tour abolie:  
Ma seule Etoile est morte, et mon luth constellé  
Porte le Soleil noir de la Mélancolie."

Jane looks at him, bewildered.  
"I've never thought you were fond of poetry."  
He winks at her.  
"I'm full of surprise, honey. Let me translate these verses:

"I am the Dark One- the Widower- the Unconsoled  
The Aquitaine Prince whose Tower is destroyed  
My only Star is dead- and my constellated lute  
Bears the black Sun of Melancholia."

Jane sighs dreamily.  
"Beautiful. But so desperate."  
"Gérard de Nerval, a French poet", Loki explains laconically. "Suffered a lot. A lost soul. A lonely heart. Was found dead, hanged. A suicide, probably."  
"That's so..."  
He cuts her off.  
" Romantic ?"  
"I'd rather say...", she raises her chin defiantly, "stupidily outdated."

This time, it's Loki's turn to be astonished.  
"What do you mean exactly ?", he asks, crossing his arms in a defensive way.  
The young woman takes one of his hands to pull him closer.  
"I'm more impressed by Frida Kahlo, a Mexican painter", she elaborates. "A great artist and a great woman. A serious disease, a bus accident. Psychological and physical wounds. But she never gave up. In her self-portraits, there are always Hope and Love. I really admire her positive attitude."

He tilts his head without taking his eyes off her.  
"Hmm...so what would Jane- the- Feminist- say to the tearful poet ?"  
She looks at him straight in the eye.  
"If he were here, just in front of me, like you are now... I'd say : "stop dwelling on, stop living in the past. Dare to choose happiness !"

His emerald eyes bore into hers.  
"Would you want him to forget his painful past ?"  
"Not forget", she corrects, "but move on. Listen, I don't know much about his past, but even if he were an orphan, stolen from his parents and contemned by his adopting father, I would tell him the same message: "Let Love melt your dark heart !".

He curls a lock of her auburn hair between his fingers and mumbles.  
"What if he couldn't open his heart easily ?"  
She comes nearer, whispering in a seducing tone.  
"If he could not speak, he could just...act."

His lips graze her ear.  
"And what if the woman he lo...fancies, slapped him... again ?"  
She sighs impatiently.  
"Oh come on, Loki. Stop arguing. Kiss me. Now."

He closes the distance between their mouths, delighted to oblige.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The end ...at last !

A triumph.  
Really.  
A standing ovation.  
How many encores ?  
Two ? Three ?

Pepper suppresses a yawn.  
Time to go home and have a rest !

She removes her make-up, takes off the glittering ringmaster's costume, and leaves her dressing room.  
In the backstage, she immediately notices Thor and Loki and she can't help smiling.  
What a contrast between the blond exuberant God of Thunder and his dark and sarcastic brother !

"Pepper ! Pepper ! come here, please" ,Thor gestures to her. "Let me introduce you to my little partner !"  
"Hello sweetie", Pepper says fondly, caressing the long ears of the white little rabbit.  
Thor has trained hard and his performance wasn't the disaster people would have thought to be. And yet ... Why did the director of the circus choose Thor to be the magician, instead of Loki ? It would have been more logical to use Loki's natural ability to perform magy !

Thor's still babling and Pepper tries to focus.  
"Such a nuisance at first, but I have managed to tame him. When I realised that I would miss him, I decided to adopt him. Thanks to Loki who knows the director, I was allowed to keep him. I will take good care of him, I assure you !", Thor explains enthusiascally.  
Pepper frowns.  
Thor has just said something important, she feels it, but she's tired to be perceptive.

"This rabbit is a "it", not a "he" ", Loki chuckles. "And I must warn you, brother, this little ball of fur may transform itself into a fury pet ...Beware of the killer rabbit !"  
Tony's lover sends him an incredulous smile.  
"Hey ! I've never thought you knew "The Monty Python and the Holy Grail " !"

Thor's jaw drops a little.  
"I know this film too. When I was in love with Jane, she asked me to watch it with her".  
He makes a face.  
"She laughed a lot. I didn't. This film was totally stupid. A rabbit killing knights ? Nonsense !"

"Understanding humour involves having a brain", Loki mumbles.  
Pepper sends him a reprobative look.  
"Anyway", she asks quickly, have you seen Tony ?"  
"I'm afraid he's sulking somewhere", Loki snorts, "he couldn't stand being less applaused than the Hulk."

Thor slaps him on the arm.  
"My brother is joking, Tony isn't jealous of Bruce's success", Thor corrects. "Nevertheless, it's true that Bruce was a really amazing clown. His performance makes him more confident."  
He adds in a conspiracy tone.  
"I saw him talking with Jane after the show. He sounded rather...flirtatious."

Loki tenses.  
Without a word, he turns on his heels and walks away.

Pepper blinks in surprise.  
What the hell ?

"Never mind",Thor shrugs, "my brother's unpredictable."  
He tilts his head.  
"Jane told me that Gorg always repeated that they have to trust each other."  
He sighs heavily.  
"You know, I still wonder how she managed to rely on him and didn't fall from the trapeze."

Suddenly Pepper startles with realisation.  
All becomes clear.  
The surprising choice of the director.  
The performance of Loki and Jane, all grace and harmony.  
And then ...  
The reference to Jane's favorite film.  
Loki's reaction when Thor talks about Bruce and Jane ...

A question of trust ?  
Yes.  
And of love certainly.

"No need to worry, Thor. Loki couldn't have let her down. And never won't."  
She winks at him , stroking mechanically the tiny pet. "Tame and irremediably in love."

She waves him goodbye and leaves, smiling broadly.

Thor cocks an eyebrow, perplexed.  
Is she serious ? Is this little rabbit really in love with him ?


End file.
